That's How It Should Be: Valentine's Day Collection
by Brown Eyes Parker
Summary: That's How It Should Be: Valentine's Day Edition.


**Story 1 – Telling & No Regrets**

**A Jane & Lisbon Story**

**By Brown Eyes Parker**

**Rated: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything.**

**.**

"**Tell her that you love her. You've got nothing to lose and you'll always regret it if you don't."**

**Love Actually_**

"You need to tell her instead of just staring at her all of the time," Kim Fischer told Patrick Jane bluntly.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Jane replied, tearing his gaze away from Teresa Lisbon for just a second.

Fischer shook her head. "Yes, you do. Why are you making yourself so miserable? You should tell her that you love her, you don't have anything to lose."

_But I have everything to lose_, Jane said to himself.

Fischer shook her head and walked away muttering something about regretting it for the rest of his life if he _didn't_ say anything. Jane wouldn't admit it to anybody, but he knew that the usually apathetic FBI agent was right. If he didn't say anything, he _would_ regret it.

His silence was already costing him dearly, the last few weeks he had been subjected to watching another man try and woo Lisbon. It had taken everything in him not to try and sabotage Marcus Pike's efforts in winning the feisty brunette's affections. But it suddenly dawned on him, he didn't have to just sit back passively and just let her go. If he fought fair, he had every right to try and stake his claim on her heart.

He had enough regrets to last him a lifetime, he wasn't going to add one more item to the long list that constantly plagued him.

**.**

And so, with Fischer's words echoing in his head he set out to win Lisbon's heart. He did all the right things, bringing her favorite treats and complimenting her even in the tiniest things. He wanted to infiltrate her mind, to make her think of nobody else but him.

He couldn't understand why it wasn't working, why she still gravitated towards Marcus, why the special smiles that she usually had reserved for him were suddenly being spent on another man. It was like all of his efforts were lost on her.

"You need to _tell_ her," Fischer stressed as she stirred a fourth packet of sugar into her coffee. "Maybe she'll respond to a verbal confession of love."

"Maybe she'll just punch me in the face and elope with Agent Pike just to spite me," Jane said dryly, putting down his cup of tea.

Fischer laughed. "Well, you never know until you try. But I highly doubt that she'll punch you or run off with Agent Pike. She's not the type to make major life decisions on whim. You're just being irrational."

Jane didn't tell her that he was afraid of being rejected, that he couldn't bear it if Lisbon didn't want him the way he wanted her. He didn't tell Fischer that he couldn't stand to see his best friend and the woman that he loved have a happily ever after with somebody else. He didn't say that his heart would shrivel up into nothing if that happened, and that he'd just be a ghost of a man walking around in nothing but a body, just waiting to die. He would never be lucky enough to find love for a third time, not the kind he had felt for Angela or Lisbon, anyways.

"Tell her," Fischer encouraged as she took a sip of her coffee and disappeared from the kitchen.

Jane didn't tell her that he wasn't sure that he'd be able to find the fitting words for a confession, that for once in his life the right things to say were totally lost on him. He wasn't the artful showman that he once was. He was more like a teenage boy, in love for the first time and fumbling through it.

He could tell by the sympathetic way she looked at him, she knew the sorry truth about him.

**.**

Fischer couldn't stand it anymore, she knew that Lisbon felt the same way about Jane. She'd revealed it on a girl's when she had had a little too much to drink. But she has the same kind of stubborn streak that Jane did. She couldn't persuade them to tell each other how they felt.

Jane, on his part was at least putting in an effort to _show_ her how he felt. Lisbon was constantly ignoring his attentions and going off with Agent Pike.

She didn't usually interfere in other people's business, but she decided to make an exception to her rule just once. Something told her if she didn't, the workplace would become a nightmare. And she didn't want to be responsible for any nightmares in the office.

**.**

"You know we shouldn't be doing this," Kimball Cho told her as he tried to forge a note in Jane's hand. "Lisbon can kill us and make it look like an accident."

Fischer nodded and scribbled a note of her own, in Lisbon's. "Believe me, I know."

"Then why are we doing it?" Cho asked.

"Because if we don't do it then they both will spend the rest of their lives in ignorant silence, that's why. Mark my words Kimball Cho, you'll thank me for it later."

"Unless it blows up in our faces."

"_Trust me_, by tonight, they'll be in each other's arms and they won't even know we're the ones who arranged it all."

"Believe me, Patrick Jane will probably figure it all out," Cho mumbled.

But that didn't stop him from following Fischer into the bullpen and placing the envelope on Jane's couch, somewhere he could see it.

**.**

"It's Valentine's Day," Lisbon pointed out to Jane in way of greeting.

"I know," Jane answered. "I thought for sure you had plans with Pike, so I was surprised to—"

Lisbon held up her hand to hush him. "Hold on a minute, if you were so certain that I had plans with Marcus then why did you invite me out to dinner tonight?"

"Me? Invite _you_?" Jane sputtered. "_You're_ the one who invited _me_ to have dinner with you! I thought you were having dinner with. . . I would have never—"

"Oh, really?" Lisbon asked skeptically. "Then what is it that you've been doing the past few weeks? You've been blatantly flirting with me!"

"So?" Jane snapped. "Is that a crime? The last time I checked you and _Marcus_ still hadn't labeled your relationship! I think that gives me a fair shot at—"

Lisbon sat down and shook her head. "But why? Why when I'm finally ready to get over you?"

"You never gave me a chance to—" Jane stopped short.

"To _what_ Jane?" Lisbon demanded. "What didn't _I _ever give you a chance to do? Say I love you? You did and you took it back! I have given you so many opportunities to do _something_ and now you finally decide to act? Now when I actually have a chance to—"

"It's because I love you!" Jane blurted out, jumping up from his chair. "_I love you_. Doesn't that give me so advantage? I love and know you more than Marcus Pike ever will. We have years together and the two of you only have a handful of friendly dates—!"

"Sir, sir!" The manager chided him quietly as he approached their table. "Could you _please _lower your voice? You're disturbing the other patrons!"

Jane looked at the man crossly. "Do you understand _what _it's like to have a woman reject you, Steve?"

"Well, no. . . but—"

"Well then, I would appreciate it if you didn't poke your nose in our personal business!"

Lisbon gasped. _"Patrick Jane!"_

Steve mopped his brow. "I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid that if you're going to insist on continuing to make a scene than I am going to have to ask you to leave the premises."

Jane released a deep breath and then nodded, not looking at Lisbon. "Fine, I'll go."

When he was gone, Steven turned and looked at Lisbon. "Miss, I know that this isn't any of my business and I have no clue to what your history is with him. But he _did_ tell you that he loved you and you two _do_ seem to have a history. Doesn't that count for anything?"

For a moment, Lisbon was stunned and then the irritation seeped in. "You're right it isn't any of your business! You don't know him the way I do! Have _you_ ever been in love with somebody you weren't sure would be there in the morning? Have you ever—"

"Miss, I'm not your priest. . . or even a couple's therapist. But I do know this, true love forgives all faults and that if you _do _love him in return and you don't say anything than you'll probably regret it for the rest of your life."

Lisbon released a deep breath and looked towards the restaurant entrance.

"I bet he's waiting for you out there," Steve said.

Lisbon nodded, if she knew Jane like she thought she did, he would be waiting for her. He never gave up on anything or anybody. Not if it was important to him.

**.**

He was sitting on a bench across the street, his head down. She looked both ways and then crossed over, she fell down at his feet and put a hand on his knee.

"I've been so foolish," she whispered. "I knew this whole time. . . I knew that you came back for _me_ even though it meant that you might get arrested and put into prison for the rest of your life. I knew you wanted me, that you loved me. But I wanted to punish you for all the years we wasted, for leaving me to deal with the repercussions from the Red John case by myself. I wanted to punish you for those two years you were gone even though you wrote me the most beautiful letters that I had ever received. I was wrong to do that though. Love is not irritable or resentful and I have been _so _resentful towards you—"

Jane looked at her then, laced his fingers through her hair and studied her face. "I should have told you as soon as I knew. I shouldn't have made you wait for me. I meant what I said back there, I love you. But if you're going to be happy with Marcus then I want you to be with him."

Lisbon laughed. "You and I both know that I could _never _be happy with Marcus. Not the way I've been happy with you the past twelve years. I will not spend the rest of my life living in regret. . I'm not going to let you go. I love you too."

Jane stood up, taking her with him, he looked at her for a moment and then brushed her hair away from her face. His hands were trembling and he looked so vulnerable, it made Lisbon's heart ache. And then, he kissed her. It was everything she dreamed it would be and even better because it was the real thing.

And they both knew that regret would _never _be in their futures.

**.**

"Do you think it happened?" Cho asked taking the fifth packet of sugar from Fischer's hands and putting it back with the rest of the sweeteners.

"I'm certain it did," Fischer replied, plucking the sugar up again and ripping it open before Cho had a chance to try and confiscate it for a second time. "Look at him, I haven't seen him_ this _happy since he came back from South America and saw her for the first time in two years."

"And they don't know that it was _us_ who orchestrated the whole thing?" Cho checked.

"I have no idea," Fischer answered, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Your coffee habits are going to get you into trouble one day," Cho told her.

"So?" Fischer said. "By then, I'll be too old to care."

Cho grunted and looked back into the bullpen. "They so got together last night. Finally. You think the past two months have been hard, you weren't with them the other ten years. It was terrible, worse than Wayne Rigsby and Grace Van Pelt. Well, actually, nobody was bad as _them_ but it was pretty close."

"I just hope they keep it out of the office," Fischer told him. "I would hate to have to break them up."

"Don't worry," Jane assured her, poking his head in the kitchen. "We'll be sure to keep it out of the office, Kim."

"He knows," Cho told her.

**_The End_**

**Author's Note:**

**Tell me what you thought, I'll anxiously be waiting to hear your thoughts. Especially because I had no idea how to finish this story.**

**Love,**

**Holly, 2/2/2014_**


End file.
